


Vorfreude

by Lumi (Lumieerie)



Category: Bleach
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Divergence, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Marriage Proposal, its canon but its not canon you feel me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:09:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26439253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumieerie/pseuds/Lumi
Summary: A hum next to him tells him Shinji agrees. Ichigo turns and smiles, watching the way Shinji adjusts his hat so that the wind doesn’t kidnap it. Shinji looks like sunshine incarnate, standing next to Ichigo as he looks at the water. He’s wearing workout clothing fit for hiking and Ichigo decides there’s nothing Shinji can’t wear or make look good. It’s almost unfair. Almost.
Relationships: Hirako Shinji/Kurosaki Ichigo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	Vorfreude

**Author's Note:**

> Vorfreude  
> (N). The joyful intense anticipation that comes from imagining future pleasures.

“We deserved this,” Ichigo says as he stretches his arms above his head. He lets out a long exhale as he lowers his arms, taking the time to glance out at the scenery. It is bright and sunny out, the sun cascading down onto the water below the rocks he and his boyfriend stand atop. For an extremely bright day, it was a comforting temperature with the wind blowing every so often, setting the atmosphere of the day. 

As a reward for their hard work during training and in the battle against the Espada, Ichigo and Shinji had been, more or less, forced to take a break. Though, honestly, Ichigo is sure that the Visoreds wanted to get rid of Shinji for the weekend and that his friends didn’t want to deal with Ichigo whining about not seeing his boyfriend for that long. Regardless of the real reason, Ichigo was sure that he and Shinji needed this. Especially because he had plans that involved Shinji. 

A hum next to him tells him Shinji agrees. Ichigo turns and smiles, watching the way Shinji adjusts his hat so that the wind doesn’t kidnap it. Shinji looks like sunshine incarnate, standing next to Ichigo as he looks at the water. He’s wearing workout clothing fit for hiking and Ichigo decides there’s nothing Shinji _can’t_ wear or make look good. It’s almost unfair. Almost. 

Quickly, and carefully, Ichigo slides his phone from his pocket and snaps an unsuspecting picture of Shinji. When he makes sure it’s perfect, Ichigo laughs when he catches Shinji’s eyes just barely looking at him through his peripheral vision. “Nothing gets past you,” he observes with a laugh. 

“Nope,” Shinji replies, his ever-present smile a sign of his fondness. “You, however, didn’t notice me taking your picture either.” As proof, he flashes Ichigo his phone. The picture Shinji took was of Ichigo sitting under shade earlier, a book in hand. “It’s amazing how domestic you can be when you’re not trying to start fights with everyone,” he teases, as if he himself doesn’t try to fight Hiyori every single day the Visoreds are training. 

Snorting, Ichigo rolls his eyes and sits down, patting the spot next to him until Shinji joins him. Then he leans against Shinji. “The view is just perfect wherever we go, isn’t it?” It is not a secret that he’s referring to Shinji looking handsome rather than the actual scenery around them. 

A blush rises on Shinji’s cheeks even as he leans against Ichigo in response. That doesn’t stop him from having the best response. “Well every time I look at you, everything feels right in the world, so yes. The view _is_ perfect wherever we go.” His smile becomes a grin as Ichigo becomes almost as red as his hair. 

“Stop.” Ichigo looks down and shakes his head, ignoring the way his cheeks flare further when Shinji wraps his arm around Ichigo’s shoulders. He focuses his gaze on the water below, watching as the sun paints its waves golden. “It’s the same for me too, Hirako,” he adds after a second, knowing that Shinji loves it most when Ichigo uses his first name. 

The effect is immediate. Shinji melts against Ichigo’s side and sighs happily. “Cheater,” Shinji grumbles with no heat, making Ichigo laugh. He reaches out and takes Ichigo’s hand, linking their fingers and flipping them around so he can look at the chain-rings on Ichigo’s fingers. “How many more times do you plan to one-up me on this trip?” He asks casually. 

Ichigo could answer truthfully and say once more, but he does not consider it a ‘one-up.’ He considers it a step toward the future and just thinking about _it_ is making him sweaty. Nervous. Anxious. Excited at the same time, however, because if Shinji says _yes_ then… Well, Ichigo has not been able to think that far because they still have to win the fight against Aizen, but he has _hopes_ that _if_ Shinji says _yes_ , they can talk about it and move forward _together_.

He does not think Shinji will say no. There might be hesitation and maybe a question on Ichigo’s mortality versus Shinji’s immortality, but he does not think Shinji will say no. Or maybe he pretends to think that and his nerves are actually rioting under his skin at the thought of rejection. Maybe it _was_ too early to ask a question like this. Well, it’s not exactly a marriage proposal, more like a promise of one if things work out. 

Things will. They have to. None of them can afford to lose and - 

He exhales, skin on fire, and fear threatens to break out in the form of his reiatsu. 

“Strawberry,” Shinji prods gently, curiosity in his eyes. A hint of worry gives away that Shinji _indeed_ caught on to Ichigo’s spike in reiatsu.

“Maybe one more time?” He offers. At the arch of Shinji’s eyebrow, Ichigo gives a nervous half smile. Might as well get it over with, he thinks to himself. Then he turns his body so he’s facing Shinji completely and takes his other hand. “Hirako, I don’t think I’ve ever loved someone this much before.” Honestly, he’s never had time to love someone the way he loves Shinji. School work always got in the way, though he did often ignore Orihime’s advances. He shakes his head, refusing to think of anyone besides Shinji. 

“It’s a little scary, honestly,” he admits. “At first I hated you because you had all this control over your hollow and then I just wanted to use you and never come back. I know I’ve said things that have hurt you in the past, especially then. Now, though, I can’t stand the thought of hating you.” He stares into Shinji’s eyes, drowning in the prettiest shade of brown he’s ever seen. Shinji is beautiful and his eyes looking like dark topaz in the sunlight only adds more to the fact. Shinji Hirako is a work of art and Ichigo wants to share the future with him. 

He has a lot more to say, but Shinji’s looking like he wants to faint and Ichigo can’t bring himself to continue. He swallows back the confession and the disappointment in the same breath before he raises his hands. “Don’t worry, this is not a marriage proposal! I don’t want-”

“It’s not?” Shinji’s face falls into a deep frown and _oh_. Ichigo gets it. 

“It’s _close_ ,” he backtracks. “I thought my rambling was making it worse,” he admits. 

Shinji’s lips curl upward, a teasing smirk now in place of the frown. “No, I love the ego boost,” he jokes. Then seriously, he says, “I was just surprised.” 

That’s all the assurance Ichigo needs. He smiles and takes Shinji’s hands once more and brings them up to his lips, kissing Shinji’s knuckles. He is not usually this soft, but today really is a special occasion. “We have a lot to do, battles to fight, people to save- _worlds_ to save. That means we’ll most likely separate for various missions and while I’m _not_ _scared_ -” He is terrified. “-anything will happen, I want to ask before we go our separate ways.”

He shifts and reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a small white box. “When we come out alive, Hirako, will you marry me?” He opens the box to reveal a simple silver ring with an amber gemstone in the middle, its hue glinting in the light. “You’ll have time to think about it: we don’t know _when_ we will win, but there is no one I would rather spend the rest of my life with than you.”

In the three seconds that pass before Shinji answers, Ichigo notices the way his lip quivers, the way his hollow mask _barely_ forms from his visceral reaction, and the way Shinji stares at the ring like it’s the most beautiful thing he’s seen in his life. He likes that he notices these things about Shinji. He looks forward to noticing _more_ about him. He waits another second before he opens his mouth to tell Shinji that he will be as patient as he needs to be, but then Shinji’s kissing him. 

He does not have any previous experience to go off of; Ichigo’s only kissed Shinji in all the years he’s been alive. That said, kissing Shinji is wonderful. Fingers splay in his hair and Shinji kisses him like the two of them were meant for each other and Ichigo wants to dissolve into the kiss and stay there. With Shinji, there would be no danger or stress. It would just be _easy_ and _them_. 

Ichigo sighs against Shinji’s lips, revels in the soft press of their bodies together before he pulls away and stares at the love of his life. “Think about it?” He asks as he raises a hand to caress Shinji’s cheek. 

“I don’t have to think about it,” Shinji replies softly, his hand mirroring Ichigo’s. “I’ve been around a long time, Ichigo, and no one has ever wanted me in the ways you want me. No one’s loved me or trusted me the way you have and even now I can’t believe that _you_ _want me_.” 

“Of course I want you,” Ichigo whispers. “We started off on the wrong foot, but you’re the missing piece to my heart that I never knew I needed. From that cheeky smirk-” he pauses to admire the way Shinji sounds when he laughs. “-to that look in your eyes you get when you’re three steps ahead of your opponent, I want everything you can give me. I want you when you’re exhausted and when you’re angry. I want you when you’re busy and when you only want to sleep. _I want your forever, Hirako_.” He leans forward and presses their foreheads together. “So what do you say?” 

“Yes,” Shinji breathes out as if he’s singing a lullaby in response. He doesn’t even argue or protest Ichigo’s words about him being the reason Ichigo is alive today. He, and the other Visoreds, _did_ teach him how to control his hollow. But that wasn’t important. What was important was that he was going to marry Ichigo Kurosaki after they won and that was enough. “I will marry you when we defeat Aizen.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written Bleach fanfic in 6 years and even then it was in notebooks in hs; but this ship needs more love so here we are uwu


End file.
